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New analysis has named the most, and least, fun cities in the U.S. in 2025.
Personal finance company WalletHub compared 65 "key metrics" to 182 U.S. cities.
The top five most fun cities in this year's ranking are the same as those ranked highest by the company in 2024, suggesting the five cities continue to excel in providing attractions and a wide range of indoor and outdoor entertainment.
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How Cities Were Scored
The company generated the rankings using data across three key dimensions: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties and costs. The first two had the highest weighting, while costs had a lower weighting.
WalletHub's ranking analyzed the top 150 most populated cities in the country alongside at least two of the most populated cities in each state (182 cities in total).
What To Know
The top five most fun cities for 2025 according to WalletHub's rankings are: Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and New Orleans.
Las Vegas came out top in the analysis. The city boasts a huge number of attractions and restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars, alongside its many spas, shopping centers, sports stadiums, festivals, arcades, and activities like bowling, hiking and sports.
The city is synonymous with a party atmosphere, with a high number of casinos, music festivals, bars, and dance clubs and was one of the few cities in WalletHub's analysis that allows drinking in most public spaces.
Orlando, Florida, paced second thanks to its amusement parks like the world-famous Disney World and Universal Studios.
It also ranked well in WalletHub's list for its significant number of spas, performing arts theaters, arcades, and is one of the best cities for soccer fans.
Further south, Miami's beaches make it a popular destination for both tourists and holidaymakers. It also ranked highly for fishing facilities, water sports, marinas, parks and fitness centers.
Atlanta and New Orleans completed the top five, followed by Houston, California's San Francisco, Texas' Austin, Oregon's Portland, and Cincinnati.
At the bottom of the rankings were Oxnard, California, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Yonkers, New York, Lewiston, Maine, and Pearl City, Hawaii. These cities ranked among the lowest for their entertainment and recreation, nightlife and their costs.
See the full list and scores below.
What People Are Saying
Analysts WalletHub said in a release: "Everyone’s brand of fun is different. Some people like trying new restaurants, traveling, visiting bars and clubs, or playing outdoor sports, for example. Others enjoy things like riding roller coasters, going to the movies or playing video games."
David Cella, a professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University, told Newsweek: "The first thing I noticed is that all of the top five cities are in the south or southwest U.S. Year-round warmth is playing a role under the surface of the survey. Looking at the factors that are most heavily weighted, recreational attractions, accessible drinking and dancing deep into the night, play the biggest roles. Cost played a minor role, noting that none of the top five cities overall ranked very well there. I would say that if partying is what you like to do, this survey will help you decide where to go."
Jonathon Day, a professor and lead researcher at the Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel Lab at Purdue University, told Newsweek: "The image of a city as a "fun" place grows over time. It may sound simplistic—but they are known as fun because these cities offer experiences that people enjoy. Cities with great access to things people enjoy—from natural attractions to the built environment. Tourism can create a virtuous cycle of fun delivery. Destinations that attract visitors attract investment in facilities that will attract more visitors. This can benefit both locals and travelers. It is worthwhile remembering that New York's Broadway—an incredible asset for the people of New York—is supported by visitors to the city."
What Happens Next
Hilary Duff and former One Direction member Zayn Malik are among the stars to have announced residencies in Las Vegas for 2026.
Update 12/02/25, 11:12 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from David Cella.
Update 12/02/25, 11:34 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Jonathon Day.
Most Fun Cities: Full List
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